Emerging leading edge storage technologies such as heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR), exert additional requirements for the components. Management of the interface between the underlying transducer structure and overcoat system can be of great importance due to the more demanding, higher temperatures experienced and the requirements of new plasmonic materials systems in the transducer structure. Oft utilized materials choices, as used in contemporary perpendicular storage transducer technology, may not be able to accommodate the increased requirements of HAMR and may have limited extendibility in perpendicular data storage.